First swine flu death triggers panic among parents in Pune

Pune, Aug 4 (ANI): The incident of a teenager dying from swine flu in India has triggered panic among parents of school kids in Pune.

After reading the reports about the death of 14-year-old student of St. Anne's High School on Tuesday, parents are making a beeline for the Naidu Hospital, a government declared swine flu testing centre, to get their kids examined for the H1N1 virus.

"We should go to the Naidu Hospital and get entire check up. They have made only one centre for checking, because of which we face problems," said Madhukar Mahadev, a grandparent of a school going kid.

The death has cast a shadow of fear amongst the people and they are leaving no stones unturned to assure the safety of their ward.

The parents of kids having symptoms like cough, cold and fever, are taking them for testing as a precautionary measure.

"One such case has occurred so even if there is slight cold or fever, then everybody will bring their children here," said Ashwini Khandave, a parent.

Following the death of its student, the authorities have shut down the St. Anne's High School for two days, during which, the school is being fumigated and sanitised.

Though shaken by the death, the school authorities say they have been constantly advising their students and the parents to exercise caution.

"For past 15 to 20 days, we have been informing the parents and children that if there is even slight cold and cough then they should go and get themselves checked. And if such a student has come to school then we have sent him/her back," said Linette Wilson, a senior teacher of the St. Anne's High School. (ANI)